Utilization of hertzian or similar radiations and apparatus therefor.



m. 643,0I8. Patented'Feb. 6; I900.

, L. H. WALTER. UTILIZATION OF 'I'IERTZIAN 0R SIMILAR RADIATIONS' AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed. Mar. 8, 1899-) 4 SheeIs-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

M Y Patented Feb. 6, I900. L. H. WALTER. UTILIZATIUN 0F HEBTZIANUR SIMILAR RADIATIUNS AND APPARATUS THEREFUR.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1899.) I

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 643,0I3.

Patented Feb. 6, I900. L. H. WALTER.

UTILIZATION OF HERTZIAN OR SIMILAR BADIATIONS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed. Mar. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

m: NOW-HIS Prrifls go, mom-unto msumaron. o. c

No. 643,0l8. Patented Feb; 6, I900.

L. H. WALTER. I UTILIZATION OF HERTZIAN OR SIMILAR BADIATIONS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

'Application med Mar. 6, 1899.

(N BL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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FFIOs UTILIZATlON OF HERTZIAN 0R SIMILAR RADIATIONS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,018, dated February 6, 1900.

A lication filed March 6, 1399. Serial No. 708,052. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS HEATHOOTE WAL- TER, a subject of the Queen of England, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Utilization of Hertzian or Similar Radiations and Apparatus Therefor, (for which I have made applications for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 23,624, dated November 9, 1898, and No. 24,312, dated November16,1898,) of which the followingis aspecification.

This invention relates to the utilization of Hertzian and similar radiations, its object being to so eifect the transmission and reception of such radiations that they may be utilized without fear of the operation of the receiving apparatus by the occurrence of unintentional or unauthorized radiations. Obstacles to the utilization of these radiations have hitherto been met with, owing to the difliculty of preventing the reception at one station of false signals from or the undesired-excitation of apparatus by waves emanating from sources other than the allied signaling or transmitting station.

According to this invention the radiations are emitted, preferably, by automatic apparatus in accordance with a prearranged code, and the receiving apparatus is so devised as to be inoperative except when the radiations reach it in the codal order or at the codal in tervals. In order to effect this, radiations are emitted from the transmittingstation with intervening periods of inactivityin conformity with the prearranged code, and the receiving apparatus comprises a codal receiving device so arranged that if the proper codesignal is received a local circuit is brought into opera tion through a relay or other device, and any desired result-firing a submarine mine, for exampleis brought about. Should impulses arrive at the receiving apparatus during the periods of codal inactivity or in non-conformity with the code, these will fail to actuate the relay or other device, since the receiver will not during such periods be connected thereto.

It is further preferred, according to this invention, to put the receiving apparatus during the periods of codal inactivityiu connection with another electric circuit, so that the receipt of unauthorized impulses during such periods may be detected or employed in any desired manner to indicate the absence orfailure of the true codal transmission.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one construction of apparatus for the utilization of I-Iertzian radiations according to this invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections of the transmitting apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the receiving apparatus, shown partly in perspective for the sake of clearness. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively aplan and elevation showing details of a portion of the transmitting apparatus. Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing details of part of the receiving apparatus, and Figs. 7 and 8 are elevations at right angles to one another illustrating a safety device which forms part of the receiving apparatus.

Like letters and figures indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

A is an induction-coil to the primary winding A of which is connected a battery B and a magnetic makeand-break contact C, while an oscillator A is joined in series with the secondary winding A These features form no part of the present invention and are therefore not described in detail. The oscillator and coherer are shown as being examples of suitable means for emitting and receiving the radiations.

D is a codal transmitting device which may for the present be merely described as comprising a disk D, supported on a shaft D and having a number of projections D at intervals upon its periphery. The disk D tends to rotate in a clockwise direction under the action of a spring, (not shown,) which may operate through a train of wheels or other mechanism, and the spring is wound through ratchet-gear E by the downward movement of a lever F, pivoted about the shaft D and controlled by the spring G. The disk D is prevented from rotating by a catch H, engaging with a corresponding notch or recess D in another disk D also carried upon the shaft D The disk D is electrically connected through the shaft D to the winding 0 of the make-and-break contact 0 and thence to a battery 13'. The other pole of this battery is joined to an electromagnet H which acts upon the catch-lever H. This pole of the battery B is also connected to a spring-contact D so placed that it is touched by the projections D upon the disk D as the latter rotates. A contact F upon the lever F is electrically connected to the shaft D and this contact Fis brought down upon another contact-piece F connected with the electromagnet H when the lever F is depressed.

When it is desired to send a signal, the lever F is momentarily depressed onto the contact F The effect of this is to complete the primary circuit of the induction-coil A, thus causing the oscillator A to spark, and also to release the disk D by the action of the electromagnet H The disk D consequently rotates, its spring having been wound up by the downward movement of the lever F. As the disk D revolves momentary contacts are "made as each of the projections D passes the contact D Hence the induction-coil A is caused to emit a series of sparks at intervals corresponding to the distances between the projections D In the case illustrated in Fig. 1 the periphery of the disk D is divided up into twelve equal parts, the projections D occurring at points corresponding to parts 1, 5, 6, 8, and 11.

The receiving apparatus, Fig. 2, comprises a coherer K with tapper K, battery B and electromagnetic contact maker L, also a codal receiving device M and safety device N. When a ray or wave set up by a spark from the induction-coil A actuates the coherer K, the contact-maker L is operated by a current from the battery B in the wellknown manner.

The codal receiving device M comprises a disk M, carrying a series of contacts M arranged in an order corresponding to that of the projections upon the transmitting-disk- D. These contacts are insulated from the disk M, but are all connected together. A similar contact M which serves as a startingcontact, is also carried by the disk M and is insulated therefrom and also insulated from the codal contacts M The disk M is revolved by a spring through any suitable train of wheels or other gear, and it is arranged that its rotation shall be approximately synchronous with that of the transmitter-disk D. The disk M is prevented from rotating by a catch M carried by a pivoted lever M and in this case the catch when in its notch or recess M acts also as a contact-piece.

M is an electromagnet operating the catchlever M, and M is a spring making contact with the edge of the disk M or the contacts M M as they pass under it.

N is a safety device which is operated from the codal receiver M and, if the latter receives the proper code-signal, closes a local circuit and fires a mine or fulfils any other purpose for which it may be intended. If, however,

as will presently be shown, a wrong signal be received by the codal receiving apparatus, the safety device does not complete the local circuit.

N and N are ratchet-wheels mounted upon the shaft N the wheel N being rotated tooth by tooth by means of a pivoted lever N when the latter is actuated by an electromagnet N against the action of a spring N. The lever N is provided with a pawl N which engages with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel N. The rotation of the wheel N takes place against the action of a spring N and the wheel is prevented from flying back between the strokes of the lever N by means of a pivoted ratchet N, which engages with the teeth of the wheel N This ratchet N is controlled by a spring N and an electromagnet N the latter also acting when energized to release the pawl N When the ratchet-wheels N and N are uncontrolled by their pawls or ratchets, the spring N causes them to rotate in a clockwise direction until a pin N comes in contact with a stop N This action insures a definite zero position.

Upon the shaft N is mounted a contactarm N which is always in contact with a brush N and when it has been rotated through a definite angle-that is to say, when the electromagnet N 7 has through the lever N rotated the wheel N for an amount equivalent to a certain number of teethit also makes contact with a spring N and thus completes a local circuit, part of which is indicated at 0. When the local circuit is intended to fire a mine, a safety-plug should always be provided, as at 0, this plug not being inserted until the mine is laid.

In order that the disk M may always rotate at substantially the same speed, the spring which drives the train of wheels is kept approximately fully wound by means of a winding device, such as indicated at P, Fig. 2. A lever P is attached to the winding-pin P of the driving mechanism, which is so arranged that rotation in a counter-clockwise direction-that is, a downward movement of the lever P-will wind up the spring. The lever P carries at its other extremitya toothed rack P with ratchet-teeth, and a pivoted le ver P is provided with a ratchet P which when the lever P is pulled down by an electromagnet P engages with the teeth of the rack P and thus winds up the spring. The lever P is so arranged that normally-that is to say, when the electromagnet P isnot energized-the ratchet P is clear of the teeth upon the rack P so that the lever P is free to rise gradually as the spring of the winding device uneoils. The upstroke of the lever P is caused by a spring P Guides are provided, as at P to keep the rack P vertical, and a make-and-break contact is provided for the lever P, as at p.

The lever P carries two contacts P and when it is in its highest position one of these contacts P touches a stop P On the other hand, when the lever P is in its lowest position contact is made between the lower contact P and another stop P The stop P is connected to an electromagnet P and through it to a battery B and the stop P is connected to another electromagnet P the winding of which is joined to a lever P and also to the battery B The other pole of the battery B is connected to the contactpieces 1?. The lever l? is pivoted at or near its center and is controlled by a spring P, so arranged that when the lever is defiected one way or the other the spring tends to keep it in its deflected position. The electromagnets P and P each control one end of the lever P and the end adjacent to the electromagnet P is provided with a contact 1?, which when the lever is drawn toward the electromagnet P touches a stop 1?, which is electrically connected to the lever P. If, now, the lever P rises in consequence of the use of the receiver M, it will at last make contact at P The electromagnet P then pulls down the lever P making contact at P and the current flows from the battery B through the make-and-break contact p and electromagnet P", thus causing the lever P to move up and down and through the rack P to pull down the lever P and Wind up the spring. This action continues after the contact at l? is broken on account of the action of the spring 1?. It continues, in fact, until the lever P descends to its lowest position and makes contact at P When this occurs, the electromagnet P is energized and pulls the lever P over.

The operation of the codal receiving device M is as follows: When the first momentary contact is made by the transmitter-lever F, as previously described, the spark at the oscillator A sets up a wave or radiation, which is received by and actuates the coherer K in the usual manner. The electromagnet L is energized and attracts the lever L, making contact at L A current then flows from the battery B through the contact-spring M starting-contact M and electromagnet M thus releasing the disk M, which starts revolving in synchronism with the transmitterdisk D. Before the lever M is attracted by the electromagnet M a momentary current passes through the lever from the wire marked a and thence through the catch M disk M, and wire b to the electromagnet N. This momentary current then releases the ratchetwheel N and allows the spring N to bring the safety deviceN back to its zero position, if it should not already be in that position. The contacts M being spaced to correspond with the projections D upon the transmitterdisk D and the two disks starting together and rotating synchronously, it follows that the coherer will be actuated when contactpieces M are under the contact-sprin g M and only at such times. WVhen this occurs, the current passes from the contact-spring M into the particular contact-piece M and thence by the wire 0 around the electromagnet N Thus it will be seen that if the coherer is actuated as each contact-piece M comes under the spring M the Wheel N will be turned through as many teeth as there are contact-pieces. In the case illustrated, for example, the wheel would be turned for an amount corresponding to five teeth, there being five codal contact-pieces. The contact-maker N is so arranged that when the safety device has been turned through this amount the local circuit 0 will be completed. If, now, the coherer be actuated by a wave other than one of the true codal wavesthat is to say, by a wave occurring during one of the intervals between the codal contacts-the contact-spring M will then be in connection with the disk M, and the current will consequently flow from the contact-piece M through the disk M and the wire I) to the electromagnet N. This being energized releases the wheel Nfland the safety device automatically returns to zero. After any such false signal it would of course be necessary to repeat the true code-signal before the local circuit could be completed.

It may be desired to operate local circuits at various places independently from one transmitting apparatus. Such a case, for example, would occur where several mines are to be fired independently of one another from one firing-station. To accomplish this, a number of transmitter-disks may be placed upon one spindle, each provided with differentlyarranged contacts, so that each disk will transmit radiations according to its own code. Each receiving-station will be provided with a codal-receiving apparatus arranged to receive signals according to the code of its corresponding transmitter-disk, and therefore as one or another of the transmitter-disks is caused to operate the induction-coil so will one or another of the local circuits be closed.

If it be desired to have several local circuits close together, each operating its own local circuit, the codal receiving device is provided with a number of codal disks corresponding to the number of local circuits and each operated from its own transmitter-disk at the transmitting-station.

Each receiving-disk operates a safety device, and if the local circuits are all worked to bring about a common result-say steering a boata relay or other device is inserted in each local circuit, so that when any one local circuit is closed theoperation of the other local circuits forming the same group is canceled, so that the particular surface is free to produce the desired effect without hindrance.

Figs. 3, 4c, 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate, by way of example, one constraction of practical apparatus on the lines indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being omitted for the sake of clearness in all the figures.

Figs. 3 and 4 show one form of codal transmitting device, such as is represented in Fig, 1. The shaft D is supported in bearings in aback plate D and standard D and carries the disk D and two codal disks D. The spring-contact D is mounted upon an insulating-block D in such manner that it may be moved along a bar D and thus work in conjunction with'either of the codal disks D. The catchlever H is pivoted to the standard I), as at D and is provided with a counterweight H The current is led into the shaft D and disk D by a brush D and the whole transmitting apparatus is mounted upon a base-plate D. The codal receiving device illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is constructed on very similar lines to the transmitting apparatus described above. The shaft M carrying the codal disk M, is supported in bearings in a back plate M and standard M The disk M comprises an ebonite back disk m, carrying a brass disk m upon its face, and the latter is recessed at intervals corresponding to the code-signals, the codal contacts M consisting of pins attached to the back disk m and situated in the center of the recess in the disk m. Current is received by the codal contacts M from an insulated sleeve M to which they are all connected, and a brush M makes a rubbing connection with the sleeve M A similar sleeve M and brush M serve to lead the current to the release-contact M and a third brush M makes connection with the shaft M and disk m. The catch-lever M is pivoted at M to the standard M being, however, insulated from it, and the lever M and catch M are in electrical connection with the spring-contact M The parts forming the codal receiving device are mounted upon a base 18, which may also conveniently support portions of the winding device P. In Fig. 5 the lever P is shown attached to its arbor P This arbor carries a ratchet-wheel P and it is attached to the inner end of a spring P the outer end of which is fastened to the frame, as at P A toothed wheel I? is also carried by the ar bor P but is loose thereon. An arbor P carries a pinion P engaging with the toothed wheel P and another toothed wheel P, which gears with a pinion M upon the shaft M As the winding-lever P is depressed the spring P is wound up, and the uncoiling of the spring rotates the wheel P which is driven from the ratchet-wheel P through a detent P. It is of course to be understood that the particular train of wheels shown between the arbor I? and the shaft M is merely given by Way of example, and various trains of wheels may be employed to give any required speed.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a convenient construction of the safety device M. This corresponds in all essential details with the perspective sketch of the device in Fig. 2, the parts being supported by plates N fixed to a base N The lever N carrying the catch or ratchet N ,is jointed,as at n, the portion bearing the catch N being actuated by a spring n. This portion of the lever N is prolonged, so that it may be acted upon by the electromagnet N and thus the latter when energized disengages both the ra tchets N and N from their respective wheels.

In the drawings above described various parts have not been lettered or described; but parts such as stops for regulating the amount of movement of the various levers, terminals, 850., need no description, as their function is at once evident to any one having a knowledge of the art.

It is to be clearly understood that this invention is not limited to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described, many variations in the various mechanisms employed being obviously possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, if desired, electric motors maybe used instead of clockwork to drive the transmitter and receiver.

Having thus described my invention, the following is whatI claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In apparatus for the utilization of Hertzian or similar radiations the combination with apparatus for transmitting and receiving radiations in the form of a codal signal, of a safety device comprising a movable member, a fixed member, a local circuit between such members, means actuated by the receiving apparatus for bringing the movable member into contact with the fixed member when a codal signal is received and for releasing it when a false signal is given, and means for returning the movable member to its original position when released.

2. In apparatus for the utilization of Hertzian or similarradiationsthe combinationwith an oscillator, a coherer, and codal transmitting and receiving apparatus of a safety de vice comprising a movable member, a fixed member, a local circuit between such members, means actuated by the receiving apparatus for bringing the movable member into contact with the fixed member when a codal signal is received, and for releasing it when a false signal is given, and means for returning the movable member to its original position when released.

3. In apparatus for the utilization of Hertzian or similar radiations the combination of an oscillator, a rotary transmitting-disk having contacts at intervals upon its periphery, a coherer, a rotary receiving-disk with contacts upon its periphery spaced similarly to those on the'transmitting-disk, means for synchronously rotating the transmitting and receiving disks, and a safety device comprising a spring-controlled shaft carrying a contact-arm, a fixed contact-arm, a local circuit between the contact-arms, and two ratchetwheels with electrically controlled pawls; substantially as set forth.

4:. In apparatus for the utilization of Hertzian or similar radiations, a codal transmitting device comprising an oscillator, a codal disk D carrying contacts D upon its periphery, a contact-arm D"', a spring to rotate the disk,

a lever F operating to make the starting-sig- P, and a lever M having a catch M which nal and wind the spring and an electromagalso acts as a contact-point; substantially as net H substantially as described. described.

5. In apparatus for the utilization of Hert- In testimony whereof I have hereto set my 5 zian or similar radiations a codal receiving hand in the presence of the two subscribing 15 device comprising a coherer, a codal disk M Witnesses. carryingcontactslll ,M acontactMibrushes LOUIS HEATHCOTE WVALTER. M M to convey the current to the contacts Witnesses: M M respectively, a spring operating to ro- HARRY B. BRIDGE,

ro tate the disk, an automatic winding device R. POYNTER. 

